Driver killed, passenger in custody following 2-hour-long standoff in Bensalem, Pennsylvania
A police pursuit ended in a deadly standoff with a driver at a Bensalem, Pennsylvania gas station Friday night, authorities said — as they urged the community there was no longer a threat.
Officials held a press conference at a Liberty gas station along Bristol Pike, Route 13, where they explained the events that led up to the shooting.
The police response Friday night began when officers attempted to stop a car for a window tint violation near Route 1 and Old Lincoln Highway, said William McVey, Bensalem Township's director of public safety.
McVey said there were two people in the car who refused to comply with police and "advised that they were armed and would not be going back to prison."
The car then took off and was tailed by Pennsylvania State Police and Bensalem police vehicles. Police said officers followed the driver through multiple nearby towns and he struck multiple police vehicles along the way before coming to a stop at the gas station — near the intersection of Route 13 and Biddle Lane.
"At that point, we considered those two individuals armed and barricaded," McVey said.
Chopper 3 was over the standoff in Bensalem Friday just before 6:30 p.m.
A SWAT team was called to respond and after two hours of police trying to de-escalate the situation, according to McVey, authorities deployed tear gas twice.
As SWAT officers in bullet-resistant vests approached, the driver raised a handgun and pointed it at officers, who opened fire. A later news release from Bensalem Township police indicated multiple officers fired their weapons, but did not specify how many.
The driver was taken to Jefferson Torresdale Hospital in Philadelphia and pronounced dead Friday night. McVey didn't give the name of the driver, however, he said he was 30 years old.
The passenger, who wasn't injured, was taken into custody.
The Bucks County District Attorney's Office is leading the investigation. McVey thanked PSP and the Philadelphia Police Department for their SWAT team's help.
Authorities planned to stay at the scene throughout the rest of the night.
"I think the police did an exceptional job of ensuring that no one from the public was hurt and I'm thankful for that," McVey said.
Bristol Pike was closed between Biddle Lane and Penn Street as the investigation continued, according to police.
"Our initial response from officers was to have people shelter in place to get all the civilians they could out of the immediate area that we thought was a danger zone," said McVey.
Per department policy, the officers who fired at the driver will be placed on administrative leave until the Bucks County District Attorney's office completes its investigation.
"We are thankful that no bystanders or officers were injured during this encounter," Bensalem Township police said in a news release.
